(Bachelor of Science degree)

• · 122 credit hours
• · Completion of the Common Studies (general education) program
• · 2.0 minimum grade point average at William Woods University

     The Educational Studies major is for students who wish to study the field without obtaining teacher certification, and students who wish to study the field and obtain teacher certification at a later date. The Educational Studies major includes courses in Education and Psychology. It is a survey of the curricula in various certification programs at the university. Students who decide to pursue certification after graduation can meet several Missouri certification competency and course requirements with classes included in the Educational Studies major.

Completion of this major does not directly lead to initial teacher certification.

Common Studies (53 hours)

Checklists for all Common Studies requirements are available in the Registrar's office. Students who wish to pursue certification after graduation should refer to the Common Studies requirements in their desired certification area.

Required Courses for Educational Studies major (35 hours)

Program objectives

     The Educational Studies major provides an introduction to the emotional, social, intellectual and physical characteristics of students in the elementary grades. The major provides this knowledge to students studying education but not preparing for teacher certification.

     Students in this area will demonstrate a knowledge of and/or competency in the following areas:

I. Curriculum: The central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of content for students across the k-6 grades and can create meaningful learning experiences that develop students' competence in subject matter and skills for various development levels.

II. English/Language Arts: A high level of competence in use of English language arts and know, understand, and use concepts from reading, language and child development, to teach reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and thinking skills and to help students successfully apply their developing skills to many situations, materials, and ideas.

III. Science: Fundamental concepts in the subject matter of science including physical, life, and earth and space sciences as well as concepts in science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, the history and nature of science, the unifying concepts of new knowledge to build a base for scientific and technological literacy.

IV. Mathematics: Major concepts, procedures and reasoning processes of mathematics that define number systems and number sense, geometry, measurement, statistics and probability, and algebra in order to foster student understanding and use of patterns, quantities, and special relationships that can represent phenomena, solve problems and manage data.

V. Social Studies: Major concepts and modes of inquiry from the social studies the integrated study of history, geography, the social sciences and other related areas to promote elementary students' abilities to make Informed decisions as citizens of a culturally diverse democratic society and interdependent work.

VI. The Arts: Their own understanding and skills the content, functions, and achievements of dance, music, theater, and the several visual arts as primary media for communication, inquiry, and insight among elementary students.

VII. Health Education: The major concepts in the subject matter of health education to create opportunities for student development and practice of skills that contribute to good health.

VIII. Physical Education: Human movement and physical activity as central elements to foster active, healthy life styles and enhanced quality of life for elementary students that is appropriate to their understanding and skills.

IX. Integrated Curriculum: The connections among concepts, procedures, and applications from content areas to motivate elementary students, build understanding, and encourage the application of knowledge, skills ideas to real world issues.

X. Instruction

1. Instruction based on knowledge of students, learning theory, subject matter, curricular goals and community.

2. Developmental approaches to learning and instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse students.

3. A variety of teaching strategies that encourage elementary students development of critical thinking, problems solving, and performance skills.

4. Knowledge and understanding of individual group motivation and behavior among students at the 1-6 level to foster active engagement in learning, self motivation, and positive social interaction and to create supportive learning environments.

5. Knowledge and understanding of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry.

XI. Assessment: Formal and informal assessment strategies to plan, evaluate and strengthen instructions that will promote continuous intellectual, social, emotional and physical development of the student.

XII. Social influences: Knowledge and understanding of the social and cultural conditions that influence education, including culture, pluralism, equality, class, ethnicity, race, gender, exceptionality, religion, language and age